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Protests in Balochistan over BLA leader’s killing

ISLAMABAD: The killing of Balaach Marri, a Baloch nationalist leader who was said to be the chief of the shadowy Balochistan Liberation Army, continued to have repercussions in Balochistan for the second day on Thursday.

The BLA, blamed for a long-running armed insurgency in the province, claimed on Wednesday that Marri was killed in a military operation. But other reports, quoting unnamed military sources, said he was killed in Afghanistan during in-fighting among those with whom he was hiding.

The news of his killing triggered several incidents of rioting and arson in many parts of Balochistan on Wednesday evening. Five people, including two policemen, were killed.

On Thursday, parts of the province observed a shutter-down strike in response to a call by the Balochistan National Party (BNP), National Party (NP) and the Baloch Students’ Organization.

In the provincial capital Quetta, the strike was partial, with commercial establishments in Baloch-dominated areas shut down. But in other parts of the city, it was business as usual, although the government shut down all educational institutions.

Police detained 50 people from Quetta after protesters burnt two government vehicles and pelted stones at government buildings.

Over a dozen were detained in Gwadar, the port city in southern Balochistan, where the strike was observed more widely. Some parts of the province such as Khuzdar, Dalbandin, Turbat, Sibi, Panjgur, Mustung, Noshaki were also badly affected by the strike.

In some places, protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres. Minor skirmishes between protesters and law enforcers were reported from some parts of the province.

Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto was the only politician to condemn the killing of Marri. She called it “a bad omen for the integrity of the federation” of Pakistan.

In a statement, she said, “The killing and bloodshed in Balochistan must immediately end.”

Ms. Bhutto called for national reconciliation in Balochistan, end to all military operations, release of all political prisoners, general amnesty and compensation for all dislocated during the fighting.

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